w nought of the
desert or the jungle or the bleak hills to the north. Quite
unadorned and clad in simple garments go all the kith of Nehemoth,
for they know well that he grows weary of pomp. Unadorned all save
one, the Princess Linderith, who weareth Ong Zwarba and the three
lesser gems of the sea. Such a stone is Ong Zwarba that there are
none like it even in the turban of Nehemoth nor in all the
sanctuaries of the sea. The same god that made Linderith made long
ago Ong Zwarba; she and Ong Zwarba shine together with one light,
and beside this marvellous stone gleam the three lesser ones of the
sea.

'Now when the King sitteth in his opal alcove by the sacred lake
with the orchids blooming around him all sounds are become still.
The sound of the tramping of the weary slaves as they go round and
round never comes to the surface. Long since the musicians sleep,
and their hands have fallen dumb upon their instruments, and the
voices in the city have died away. Perhaps a sigh of one of the
desert women has become half a song, or on a hot night in summer one
of the women of the hills sings softly a song of snow; all night
long in the midst of the purple garden sings one nightingale; all else
is still; the stars that look on Babbulkund arise and set, the
cold unhappy moon drifts lonely through them, the night wears on; at
last the dark figure of Nehemoth, eighty-second of his line, rises
and moves stealthily away.'

The traveller ceased to speak. For a long time the clear stars,
sisters of Babbulkund, had shone upon him speaking, the desert
wind had arisen and whispered to the sand, and the sand had long
gone secretly to and fro; none of us had moved, none of us had
fallen asleep, not so much from wonder at his tale as from the
thought that we ourselves in two days' time should see that wondrous
city. Then we wrapped our blankets around us and lay down with our
feet towards the embers of our fire and instantly were asleep, and in
our dreams we multiplied the fame of the City of Marvel.

The sun arose and flamed upon our faces, and all the desert glinted
with its light. Then we stood up and prepared the morning meal, and,
when we had eaten, the traveller departed. And we commended his soul
to the god of the land whereto he went, of the land of his home to
the northward, and he commended our souls to the God of the people
of the land wherefrom we had come. Then a traveller overtook us
going on foot; he wore a br